The Serenity in the Shatters
by AngelMoon Girl
Summary: In that instance's breath, the world turned upside down, or was it right side up, and Seeley Booth felt a joy quite unlike any he'd ever experienced before well up inside his chest. A series of drabbles following the season 6 finale.
1. Pieces: Booth

Disclaimer: My conscience, who sounds suspiciously like Temperance Brennan, informs me I have no ownership over Bones. Phooey.

Author's Note: *waves timidly* I'm back! Still trying to get back into the fanfiction mindset and I feel like the challenge of writing something new is doing wonders in coaxing out that flightly little muse of mine. It probably helps that I simply adore these characters and their prospective future together :)

Summary: In that instance's breath, the world turned upside down, or was it right side up, and Seeley Booth felt a joy quite unlike any he'd ever experienced before well up inside his chest. A series of drabbles following the season 6 finale.

**"The Serenity in the Shatters"**

by AngelMoon Girl

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><p><em>PART 1<em>

_Pieces: Booth_

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><p><em>"You're the father."<em>

Three little words, so innocent on their own, but strung together they were the proverbial equivalent to a ton of bricks. In that instance's breath, the world turned upside down, or was it right side up, and Seeley Booth felt a joy quite unlike any he'd ever experienced before well up inside his chest. Somewhere, in the deep recesses of his mind, he remembered another place and another confession intimated over the cozy grip of a cramped armchair, but it was a dim memory; an idea he'd scarcely dared to entertain ever again.

_A child. With Bones_.

The reality of what was once merely a pleasant dream- the fond wish of unspoken desire- came crashing over Booth in waves he could never have fought off even if he wanted to.

_I knew. Right from the beginning. _

Had he? Had he been able to sense it, even then, amidst the confident brushing of hands and searing first impressions, that he and Temperance Brennan were destined to be together?

Booth thought so, but after delaying the inevitable for so long, he decided this turn of events surely had to be a sign from above. To have created life in only one night; one unbidden night of tears and sighs and connection and _love_... it must have been fate's way of supplying a much-needed kick in the rear to the two most stubborn individuals on the face of the earth.

The smile that crept onto Booth's countenance was one of genuine surprise and inexorable elation; the smile of a man whose life suddenly felt as if it had fallen into place as the pieces chinked together inside what had long felt like an eternally broken heart, wistful for a woman he'd never thought would come around. And now, here she was, lovely in the moonlight with her precious cargo and sparkling grin of response, the excitement between them nearly palpable. Dancing in this pocket of forever, no other words were needed; Booth and Brennan's eyes and mouths did all the talking for them.

_To Be Continued_

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><p>AN - It's looking like there will be six parts to this story. All will be told from Booth's POV with the exception of the final chapter. That one I hope to have come full circle with "Pieces: Brennan". You'll see what I mean when we get there ;p

Any reviews are appreciated.


	2. Smug

_PART 2_

_Smug_

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><p>"Well would you look at that," Booth whistled almost smugly as he leaned back in the chair he'd all but claimed for his own. The harried forensic anthropologist, who was just entering her office, graced him with an inquiring cock of the brow.<p>

"Look at what? And feet off the desk, Booth," Brennan added exasperatingly, rolling her brilliant blues heavenward. She began shuffling through files distractedly.

"At _that_, Bones." Booth pointed at Brennan's stomach, a grin stretching his sharply defined cheekbones. "You've got a _bump_."

Brennan paused in her search, chuckling at the mixture of pleasure and pride in Booth's voice. She looked down at herself with barely concealed delight. "Yes, I've noticed I seem to have acquired a minute amount of weight in my midsection. At twelve weeks, it is to be expected. The fetus is now a little over two inches long and weighs approximately half an ounce."

"Our baby, the lime?" Booth joked, and Brennan ceased her self-inspection to swat him playfully. "You know, we're not going to be able to hide your pregnancy for much longer..."

Brennan sighed. "I've been thinking the same thing." The two were silent for a moment, then Brennan continued shyly, "While I do not like lying to our friends, it... has been nice, having it be just you and me. And the fetus, of course. I guess what I'm saying is I will miss the degree of privacy we've been able to enjoy these past few months. I will miss it being our little secret no one else was allowed to be a part of."

They shared a look full of charged emotion; Booth didn't have to say anything at all to communicate that the feeling was mutual. If it were his choice, they'd elope to some far flung island where he could selfishly have her all to himself. But then the brunette blushed, ducking her head and hastily changing the subject. "Should we tell them together over dinner, at The Founding Fathers?"

"That's a great idea! Oh man, can you _imagine_ their faces? Sweets is going to wet himself with glee."

Brennan crinkled her nose. "I hope you mean metaphorically?"

Booth opened his mouth to correct her, but a bout of playful childishness possessed him and the man cackled instead. "Kids will be kids, Bones."

_To Be Continued_


	3. Strong

_PART 3_

_Strong_

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><p>"Bones?" Booth paused, one foot out the door and one still firmly planted inside the car. He shot a solicitous look Brennan's way as he observed her unnerving lack of movement. They were going to be late for the ultrasound if she didn't come to life in the next five seconds, but at the moment Booth was more concerned with the way she was just staring out the window, fingers bunched in her lap. He could hardly believe this was the woman who only moments ago had been chewing him out for not having gotten up on time. He knew Brennan prided herself on prudence, so the fact that she wasn't bolting out the door and into the doctor's office like all hell was riding on her tail surprised Booth. "What's wrong?"<p>

Brennan took a deep breath, seeming to come out of her stupor with a dark and chary laugh. She gestured tremulously towards herself with what appeared to the man to be disgust. "Look at me, getting all upset over nothing! I'm sorry for snapping at you, Booth. God, I'm going to make such an awful mother."

Booth stared. She said that last bit like it was no big deal, like it was supposed to be funny and light and not at all self-condemning and why wasn't he laughing? But Booth was conversant in the inner workings of Temperance Brennan, and he was aware there was more troubling her than the scientist currently let on. One glance-over of Brennan, with her stiff posture and closed off features, confirmed his suspicions. "Bones, don't say that. You're going to be a _great_ mom!"

"Am I?" the brunette whispered, shrugging, trying to keep from making eye contact as she engrossed herself in fascinated examination of her own seatbelt. Booth wanted to rage in frustration. Why could she not see what he saw?

"Bones. Look at me."

Brennan hesitated, but at his gentle persuasion she latched her vibrant blues onto Booth's mahogany brown. He smiled, and laid a comforting hand on top of Brennan's.

"It's _okay_ to be scared; to make mistakes. With Parker, I probably make at least a hundred a day."

"I'm not sure your logic is sound-"

"But you understand what I'm trying to say, right?" Booth pressed, squeezing the warm appendage beneath his. Brennan nodded. "Someone very wise once told me, a substance that is impervious doesn't need to be strong. Temperance Brennan, you are not an impervious substance. You are _strong_. And sometimes you'll have doubts, and sometimes you'll mess up, but no matter what you won't let that break you because you are a strong individual with a good heart, and you already know everything you need to know to be our little baby's mommy."

Brennan blinked, visibly touched. "Thank you, Booth."

The aforementioned FBI agent smirked. "Well... don't get _too_ hasty with the gratitude, Bones. I'm still the reason we're late." And as they walked arm-in-arm up the steps, he added teasingly, "Honestly, I don't know what you're worried about. Of the two of us, I'm far more likely to make the mistakes. You like evidence- look no further than today and the fact that I stupidly forgot to set the alarm."

"That is true," Brennan admitted slyly, but she reached up to kiss him on the cheek nonetheless. Booth rejoiced at the renewed sparkle he caught dancing in his partner's eyes.

oOo

He knew he looked like a blubbering fool, and maybe he should probably stop laughing before he started crying, but Booth couldn't seem to muster up the care necessary. One glance told him Brennan was barely holding on by a thread, so he was not alone in his rapid undoing, and that knowledge suited him just fine.

The racing drum of a heartbeat struck a steady tempo, and it was so virile that Booth wanted to lose himself in the magical rhythm. _That's our little avocado, _he thought, an affectionate chuckle racing off his lips. Beside him, Brennan exhaled shakily, and this time he felt _her_ slipping her hand into _his_.

"The fetus is so... so healthy. So perfect."

Booth smiled at the relief, the mesmerization, in his partner's voice.

"Why shouldn't it be? The baby has such a strong mother giving it life."

_To Be Continued_


	4. Support

_PART 4_

_Support_

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><p><em>"Congratulations, Temperance and Seeley! It looks like you're expecting a girl!"<em>

The discovery of their baby's sex had been a powerful moment for both Booth and Brennan. As they lay naked and tangled together on the bed where their daughter- their _daughter!- _was first conceived, Booth ran his hands over Brennan's now sizable stomach with a goofy smile. He felt the lively little coconut- a nickname that suddenly no longer seemed suitable, Booth realized with an internal jig- give her mommy a prod here and there. It never ceased to amaze him how Brennan treated every kick as if it were the first. He loved to glance up and watch her eyes widen delightfully, as if she'd never experienced anything quite like it and was intent on savoring every brush of movement signalling fetal life.

"Booth?"

"Mm?" Booth replied rather dreamily, and Brennan couldn't help but giggle at his mushy, sentimental display. He remembered her telling him once, maybe a month ago, that she considered this lesser seen side of him adorably paternal and very much attractive. Ever since, he'd sought that equally charming reaction from Brennan when he let his inner "Daddy" out. It made him giddy to imagine them, together, fawning and cooing over a tiny infant as she slumbered between their curled warm bodies.

"I've been thinking... I want to have a water birth."

This jerked Booth back to full awareness, and he gave his partner a startled look of query. "A _what_ birth? Water? Like... in a fish tank?"

The thought concerned Booth more than he'd admit aloud. He hoped she was kidding, and then he remembered Brennan didn't do that.

"No, of course not," the aforementioned highbrow chided, disbelief in her inflection suggesting the meaning should have been obvious. "Water birth is typically performed in a tub of warm water, Booth, not a fish tank. The heated liquid encourages a safer, easier transition for the infant from the birth canal out into the world, because it resembles that of the intrauterine environment. The buoyancy allows for additional gravitational pull, aiding descendence. There are also many alleged benefits for the mother, such as reduction in labor pain and risk of tearing. I am, as yet, undecided as to whether I wish to enroll in a maternity clinic or simply give birth at home, however."

Booth realized his mouth was hanging stupidly open. He licked his lips before clarifying weakly, "So... what you're saying is you don't want to be in a hospital? You want to have our baby girl in... a tub?"

"Yes."

"A tub of water?"

Brennan frowned and there was a touch of annoyance in her voice now. "Yes. It may not be traditional per se, but from what I've read in my vast research on the subject, a great number of women prefer water births over the slightly more clinical take one often finds in a hospital."

Booth let out a shocked whoosh of air. "Wow. I'll confess you caught me off guard there, Bones, but... whatever you want, whatever makes you comfortable, I'll support you. It may be our shared child inside you, but giving birth- that's totally your domain, baby."

The corner of Brennan's mouth twitched at the moniker- he knew it was one she both adored and loathed at alternating moments- before murmuring, "It's not _all_ me. I... want you to be there too, Booth. I want you to experience the birth of our baby just as fully as I."

It was the first time Brennan had called the child growing within her "our baby" instead of her usual "the fetus". Booth smiled, fighting an onslaught of unexpected emotion. He'd never been this involved with Rebecca's pregnancy. It was important to him to be there for every milestone this time around. Brennan and their baby were his second chance at happiness. Family. _Love_. Every fiber of his being resonated with that truth. "I want that too."

They laid together wordlessly for a few seconds, Brennan with her cheek cradled against his neck and Booth with his nose nestled in her hair. Then the man chirped up, "You know... we're going to have to pick a definitive name soon. The months are just flying by. Before we know it, the coconut is going to become a melon."

"Don't remind me," Brennan moaned. "At least I can still see my feet..."

_To Be Continued_


	5. Serenity

_Part 5_

_Serenity_

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><p>"Serenity."<p>

"What?" Booth squeezed his partner's gloved fingers, peering past the steadily falling November snow to Brennan's content face.

At eight months, she looked pleasantly full. Booth could hardly stop staring. One of his favorite pastimes was feasting on the image of the beautiful brunette, so bursting with the part of her and the part of him growing hidden just beneath that unbearably soft skin. He would miss the tangibleness- the visible proof that Brennan belonged to _him-_ once their daughter arrived, but he also knew that moment would bring forth a whole new feeling of pride and fulfillment. Happiness that would even rival that which overwhelmed him right now...

"Serenity," Brennan repeated, just a little louder, as their feet clacked against the slippery white marble transversing the frozen reflecting pool. "Serenity Joy Booth." It hardly sounded like a name, the way the words rolled like music off Brennan's tongue. But then it clicked, so right, so perfect, that Booth went temporarily breathless.

"Do you like it?" Brennan pressed. "The combination just popped into my head, but if you don't think it's appeasable-"

"No. No, Serenity Joy is..." Booth shook his head, searching for the proper description. Fitting? Flowing? Charming? Sublime? "It just _is_. It's her, Bones. I know it."

"Known it from the beginning," Brennan whispered, gazing off into the setting winter sun with something akin to realization on her countenance. Booth knew she was recalling the night not too long ago, not too far from here, when life hadn't seemed so wonderful. When he'd bared his heart to her, only to have it shattered into a million aching pieces. Funny how _complete_ he felt, just two years later, with the simple touch of Brennan's hand in his and the future extending so bright in front of them. So... serene.

_Serenity Joy Booth. _

Yes, he very much liked that name.

_Temperance, Seeley, and Serenity..._

_To Be Continued..._


	6. Pieces: Brennan

_PART 6_

_Pieces: Brennan_

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><p>Brennan groaned as her body divested itself of another contraction, sinking into Booth as he rubbed soothing circles over her taut stomach. They were sitting together in a colorful blue tub, Brennan pasted to Booth's chest as she drew comfort from his presence.<p>

At first, Booth had been reluctant to join her, but at Brennan and their kindly midwife's insistence- and perhaps his own timidly voiced desire to be as near to Brennan as possible- the studly FBI agent donned swim trunks and slipped into the warm, waist-high water. Within seconds, he had crawled up behind the laboring forensic anthropologist, seeming a little surprised when she welcomed the physical closeness of his action. But for Brennan, it was more than that. She enjoyed knowing he was right there, a lifeline; truly part of their daughter's birth. The thought that Serenity was going to greet the world with her parents tangled in loving, supportive embrace... suffice to say, no anthropology lesson could have explained _this_; this feeling so warm, Brennan was unsure how to describe it without doing the intense emotion disservice.

Waves of agony, stronger than the last, rushed over Brennan so potently that her internal musings were swept away in their wake. She arched in Booth's grasp, crying out, only barely registering the gentle command to push from Midwife Foster. Really, though... No one needed to tell her. The urge was becoming unbearable, and it was with wry delight that Brennan complied.

"Oh, it hurts," she panted, breathlessly. Booth ran a smooth palm up her trembling arm and down, just once. He seemed wary of touching the brunette overly much, and Brennan still had enough cogency to recall their recent conversation, and her concern that she might not react well to excessive stimuli, based on various accounts of women she had stumbled across online. Booth had chuckled nervously in response, assuring that although he was the type to unknowingly push boundaries, he would try to remember to be ginger. Brennan knew Booth would stop immediately if she became snappish or distressed, but so far she had managed to keep herself in check. As much as her body protested, she wanted Booth there, every step of the way.

"It's all worth it," Booth murmured. "You can do it, Bones. You're strong. You can do it..."

Brennan nodded through a haze. Yes. The pain was temporary. The pain didn't matter. Serenity was counting on her.

"Again, Temperance," Mrs. Foster encouraged, and Brennan bore down with all the force she could muster. The minutes and perhaps even hours melded into this dismal ritual of stress then release; tightening then relaxation, albeit this small mercy came in shorter and shorter bursts until all Brennan was aware of was the horrible sensation of being torn apart at the seams.

"_Here she comes_!"

Brennan sobbed out her final contraction, wondering when Booth's hand had latched itself onto hers, but squeezing it for dear life nonetheless. She registered dimly the midwife, warning them not to startle the baby as Serenity slowly left the safety of her body. There was a wonderful outpouring of relief that spread throughout the exhausted scientist's limbs as she felt her daughter tug free, out into the waiting arms of Mrs. Foster, who pulled the newborn upright with practiced ease.

Brennan stared, drowning in the small, wriggling, _perfect_ human being that was her and Booth all rolled into one. Already she could see the similarities: the prominent zygomatic arch that was clearly of Booth descent; the button nose that belonged to the Brennans. Her partner's mouth on a delicately familiar square-jawed chin. Would Serenity share her father's charming, playful smirk? Or would she tend toward the serious, like her mother?

Mother. _Mother_. What a powerful word.

_I am a mother. _Thrilling and frightening, for the first time, it hit her. Really hit her, like a ton of bricks.

"Congratulations, Mom and Dad," Mrs. Foster crooned, passing the tiny girl to Brennan, who accepted her precious gift with a choked,

"Thank you."

Serenity Joy Booth made adorable mewing sounds as the new mother cradled her infant close, and somewhere around her right ear, Booth was struggling with similar noises.

"God, Bones. It's her. It's really her. Serenity... She- she's _beautiful_."

Brennan glanced up and was shocked to see him crying, actually _crying_. And Seeley Booth, the steely FBI agent, did not cry. Then Brennan realized, with perhaps an even greater sense of amazement:

She was too.

In that moment, with Booth at her back and a baby- _their_ baby- in her arms, Brennan knew:

She had found happiness.

And just like that, everything the brilliant forensic anthropologist had never dared to dream for herself came true. Through tears and hope and sighs of adulation, Brennan smiled. It was the smile of a woman whose life suddenly felt as if it had fallen into place, as the pieces chinked together inside what had long felt like an eternally damaged heart, wistful for love but always afraid to seek it. And now- now she had. Oh, she had.

In that instance's breath, the world was most _certainly_ right side up. For in their search to regain all that they had lost along the way, Temperance Brennan and Seeley Booth found each other, found _family_... and thus, serenity.

_The End_


End file.
